Matthew 5:1-48 --Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 6:1-34-- "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 7:1-28 -- "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,

Now read the lesson and do the test at the end. The lesson explains what you have read in the Bible.

We often wonder, "What is the right thing to do?" We all need to know how we should live. We need to know what the will of God really is.

Once the religious leaders asked Jesus the Messiah to explain to them what the will of God is. They asked him which commandment from God is the greatest.

Jesus answered: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: Love your neighbour as you love yourself. 'The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40).

This teaching from Jesus the Messiah shows that it is God's will that we love God and people. All God's rules for right living are based on the way of love.

Teaching on a Mountain

One day when Jesus the Messiah was still living on earth, he took his disciples into a mountain. The mountain was in the country of Galilee which was where Jesus lived when he was a young boy. Many people climbed the mountain to see and hear the Messiah.
Jesus sat on the mountain and began to teach his disciples. He explained God's rules for right living which are based on the way of love.

The Way of Blessing (Matthew 5:1-20)

"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!" (Matthew 5:3). This is the first thing Jesus the Messiah told his disciples on the mountain.

This truth is most important. The Kingdom of heaven is present wherever people live in true righteousness and love. But only people who are poor in spirit enter God's Kingdom of righteousness.

People who are poor in spirit are not proud. They know that they are sinful. They admit their sin. They accept the forgiveness of God. They experience the new life which comes through Jesus the Messiah. This new life is given by the power of God's Spirit within a person which helps him to live righteously.

The Laws of God (Matthew 5:17-20)

Remember the Ten Commandments which God revealed through the Prophet Moses. Remember the writings of the Prophets of God in the Old Testament. The Messiah did not come to put away the teachings of these prophets. Jesus the Messiah reveals the true and deep meaning of the laws and teachings of God which are written in the Old Testament.

Jesus said, "I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teaching come true" (Matthew 5:17).

Some religious people think that they are doing the will of God because they try to obey many different rules which the prophets have given. It is not wrong to obey these rules. Yet God's greatest commandment is that we love God most of all, and that we love other people.

If we think that we are obeying the laws of God, but do not show love, then we are not really doing the will of God. That is why Jesus warned people not to love like the religious leaders in his time. These men carefully obeyed the religious laws, but they did not love others.

This is the reason Jesus said: "... You will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires" (Matthew 5:20).

Peace (Matthew 5:21-26)

God told the Prophet Moses: "You shall not kill."
But Jesus the Messiah revealed that even the hate which leads people to kill is wrong. Jesus said: "But now I tell you: whoever is angry with his brother will be brought to trial" (Matthew 5:22).

A person cannot worship God truthfully if he does not have peace with his brother. First we must make peace with the one who is against us. Then we can worship God with joy.

Marriage (Matthew 5:27-32)

At Mount Sinai God told the people of Israel: "You shall not commit adultery."
Jesus the Messiah revealed that even the desire for a woman who is not one's wife is sin. Jesus said: "But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty* of committing adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28).

Jesus the Messiah showed that adultery is a great evil. He said that if a part of our bodies such as the eye, tempts us, it would be better to have the eye taken out than to yield to the temptation. He said: "It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell" (Matthew 5:29).

Jesus the Messiah also explained that divorce is wrong. Jesus said: "But now I tell you: if a man divorces his wife, even though she has not been unfaithful, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also" (Matthew 5:32).

God's plan for marriage is that one man and one woman should live together in unity and faithfulness as long as they both live.

Truthfulness (Matthew 5:33-37)

Jesus the Messiah told his disciples to be truthful. Disciples of Jesus should not need to swear* to prove that they are telling the truth. A simple "yes" or "no" should be enough for one who is always truthful.

Forgiveness (Matthew 5:38-48)

Some teachers say, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." This means that if someone does something wrong to you, you should do the same thing to him.

But Jesus the Messiah taught that we should not stop the one who does wrong to us. If anyone hits us on the right cheek, we should let him hit the left cheek also. If anyone takes our coats, we should let him have our shirts also. If anyone forces us to carry his loads one kilometre, we should go with him for two kilometres.

Some people say, "You should love your neighbour and hate your enemy."
But Jesus the Messiah said that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Jesus reminded us that God is kind both to the evil people and the good. If we love only those who love us, we are no different than the evil people. Even wicked people do good to their friends.

Love is more powerful than hate. If a person hates his enemy, the hate between them will grow. Probably they will fight. Perhaps they will destroy each other. But a person should love and forgive his enemy. If he does this, it is possible that his enemy will become his friend.

The disciples of Jesus should love and be kind both to their friends and to their enemies.

Religious Acts (Matthew 6:1-18)

Jesus the Messiah taught that we should not do our religious acts so as to get honour from men. When we give gifts to the poor, we should not tell others what we have done. God knows what we do and will bless us for our gifts. That is a great reward.

When we pray, we should not try to get the attention of people. Instead we should go to our room and shut the door and pray there to God. When we go without food for religious reasons, we should not do this to show others that we are hungry. God, who always sees us, will bless us. The blessing of God is far better than the praises of men.

Jesus the Messiah said that when we pray, we should not use many useless words like the unbelievers do. We should pray simple prayers something like this:

"Our Father in heaven,
May your holy name be honoured;
May your kingdom come;
May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need.
Forgive us the wrong that we have done just
as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
Do not bring us to hard testing,
but keep us safe from the Evil One" (Matthew 6:9-13).

Jesus the Messiah also reminded us that if we forgive others the wrongs they have done to us, God will also forgive us for our wrongs. But if we do not forgive those who have wronged us, God will not forgive us for our sins.

Riches (Matthew 6:19-34)

Jesus the Messiah also taught that all the riches in the world will become old and useless sometime. So we should not gather for ourselves these riches. Instead we should save up riches in heaven where riches never lose their value.

A person cannot serve God and money. So we should not trouble ourselves with money and the things that money buys. God knows what we need. He will take care of us. The most important thing for us should be the Kingdom of God and the way God wants us to live. If we do that all the things we need will be given to us. We should never worry about the future! God will take care of us.

Jesus Taught that We Should be Kind and Truthful.

Kindness (Matthew 7:1-12)

Jesus the Messiah said: "Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you" (Matthew 7:1). Before we tell friends that they have done something wrong, we should look at ourselves because we also do wrong. We should first repent of our own sins. Only then can we help someone else repent of his sins. If we judge others unkindly, they will do the same to us.

God never judges unkindly. In fact he answers prayers and gives us good things. We should also be kind to others.

Jesus said: "Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and of the teachings of the prophets" (Matthew 7:12). This saying of Jesus is called the Golden Rule.

Heaven and Hell (Matthew 7:13-23)

Jesus the Messiah said: "Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). This saying of Jesus shows that only a few people choose the straight road to heaven. Most people prefer the wide road to hell.

Many people say that they obey God, but they show by their actions that they do not love God or other people. These people are false. They will be sent away from God on the Day of Judgement. Speaking of these people, Jesus said: "And any that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:19).

The Foolish and the Wise (Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus the Messiah finishes this lesson by telling a story to show what happens to a person who obeys his teaching and to a person who does not obey the teaching.
Jesus the Messiah said, "So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who builds his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers overflowed, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock."

"But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain poured down, the rivers overflowed, the wind blew hard against that house, and it fell. And what a terrible fall that was!" (Matthew 7 :24-27) .

"When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowd was amazed at the way he taught. He wasn't like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority" (Matthew 7:28-29).

Here is a list of difficult words in this lesson.

guilty               -     when someone does wrong he is guilty
swear               -     to promise something in the name of God
amazed             -     greatly surprised.

Learn this verse. Matthew 7:12: "Do for others what you want them to do for you.."

Test 3: The People of Faith

Here is the test for Lesson 3. Write the letter of the correct answer on the line on the right side of the page.
1)            God's will for right living is based on
            a)            the way of love.
            b)            the way of sacrifice.
            c)            the way of many rules and laws.                                              ___
2)            Jesus the Messiah
            a)            put away the teachings of the prophets.
            b)            taught people to hate their enemies.
            c)            completed all that God revealed through the prophets.           ___
3)            Love is
            a)            more powerful than hate.
            b)            as powerful as .hate.
            c)            less powerful than hate.                                                           ___
4)            Jesus the Messiah taught that when we give gifts to the poor, we should
            a)            tell many people.
            b)            tell no one.
            c)            tell only a few friends.                                                              ___
5)            "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them." This saying of Jesus is called
            a)            the great commandment.
            b)            the last law.
            c)            the golden rule.                                                                        ___
Write "True" or "False" after each of the following sentences.
6) We all need to know how to live right. ______
7) People who are poor in spirit are proud. ______
8) Desire for a woman who is not your wife is sin. ______
9) It is against the will of God for a husband and wife to divorce each other. ______
10) We can serve God and money. ______